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[Illustration: ANZAC COVE.
_Photo by Lieut.-Col. Millard._]
FIVE MONTHS AT ANZAC
A NARRATIVE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF
THE OFFICER COMMANDING THE 4th FIELD
AMBULANCE, AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
BY
JOSEPH LIEVESLEY BEESTON
C.M.G., V.D., L.R.C.S.I., Colonel A.A.M.C.
Late O.C. 4th Field Ambulance, late A.D.M.S.
New Zealand and Australian Division
_WITH PHOTOGRAPHS_
SYDNEY
ANGUS & ROBERTSON LTD.
89 CASTLEREAGH STREET
1916
W.C. Penfold & Co. Ltd., Printers,
183 Pitt Street, Sydney.
DEDICATED TO
THE OFFICERS, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN OF
THE 4th FIELD AMBULANCE, A.I.F., OF WHOSE LOYALTY
AND DEVOTION TO DUTY THE WRITER HEREBY EXPRESSES
HIS DEEP APPRECIATION.
CONTENTS
THE FOURTH FIELD AMBULANCE
THE VOYAGE
EGYPT
TO GALLIPOLI
THE ANZAC LANDING
AT WORK ON THE PENINSULA
INCIDENTS AND YARNS
AIR FIGHTING
THE OFFICERS' MESS
THE ARMISTICE
TORPEDOING OF THE _TRIUMPH_
THE DESTROYERS
THE INDIAN REGIMENTS
THE SWIMMING
TURKISH PRISONERS
POST OFFICE
SANITARY ARRANGEMENTS
SIMPSON
CHURCH SERVICES
THE ENGINEERS
TURKS ATTACK
RED CROSS
PREPARING FOR THE ADVANCE
THE ATTEMPT ON SARI BAIR
AMBULANCE WORK
ARTILLERY
TURKS AS FIGHTERS
THE FOURTH FIELD AMBULANCE
Shortly after the outbreak of War--after the first contingent had been
mobilised, and while they were undergoing training--it became evident
that it would be necessary to raise another force to proceed on the
heels of the first. Three Infantry Brigades with their Ambulances had
already been formed; orders for a fourth were now issued, and
naturally the Ambulance would be designated Fourth Field Ambulance.
The Fourth Brigade was composed of the 13th Battalion (N.S.W.), 14th
(Victoria), 15th (Queensland) and 16th (Western Australia)--commanded
respectively by Lieutenant-Colonel Burnage, Lieutenant-Colonel
Courtnay, Lieutenant-Colonel Cannon and Lieutenant-Colonel Pope. The
Brigade was in charge of Colonel Monash, V.D., with Lieutenant-Colonel
McGlinn as his Brigade Major.
As it will be necessary from time to time to allude to the component
parts of the Ambulance, it may be as well to describe how an ambulance
is made up. It is composed of three sections, known as A, B, and C,
the total of all ranks being 254 on a war strength. It is subdivided
into Bearer, Tent and Transport Divisions. Each section has its own
officers, and is capable of acting independently. Where there is an
extended front, it is frequently desirable to detach sections and send
them to positions where the work is heaviest.
As the name implies, the Bearers convey the wounded to the dressing
station (or Field Hospital, as the case may be). Those in the Tent
Division dress the cases and perform nursing duties, while the
Transport Division undertakes their conveyance to Base Hospital.
It was decided to recruit the Fourth Field Ambulance from three
States, A Section from Victoria, B from South Australia, C from
Western Australia. Recruiting started in Broadmeadows, Victoria, on
the 19th October, 1914, and thirty men enrolled from New South Wales
were included in A Section. Towards the end of November B Section from
South Australia joined us, and participated in the training. On the
22nd December we embarked on a transport forming one of a convoy of
eighteen ships. The nineteenth ship ---- joined after we left Albany.
Details from the Ambulance were supplied to different ships and the
officers distributed among the fleet. Our last port in Australia was
Albany, which was cleared on the last day of 1914--a beautiful night
and clear day, with the sea as smooth as the proverbial glass.
THE VOYAGE
The convoy was under the command of Captain Brewis--a most capable and
courteous officer, but a strict disciplinarian. To a landsman, his
control of the various ships and his forethought in obtaining supplies
seemed little short of marvellous. I had the good fortune to be
associated with Captain Brewis on the passage from Colombo to
Alexandria on board the ---- and his friendship is a pleasant memory.
The fleet was arranged in three lines, each ship being about three
lengths astern of the one ahead. The sight was most inspiriting, and
made one feel proud of the privilege of participation. The ---- towed
the submarine AE2, and kept clear of the convoy, sometimes ahead, then
astern, so that we viewed the convoy from all points.
The day after leaving Albany a steamer, which proved to be the ----,
joined us with C Section of our Ambulance. Signals were made for the
---- ---- to move ahead and the ---- to drop astern, the ---- moving
into the vacant place. The manoeuvre was carried out in a most
seamanlike manner, and Captain Young of the ---- received many
compliments on his performance.
Three days later a message was flagged from the ---- that Major
Stewart (who commanded the C Section of the Ambulance) was ill with
enteric, and that his condition was serious. The flagship then sent
orders (also by flag) "Colonel Beeston will proceed to ---- and will
remain there until next port. ---- to provide transport." A boat was
hoisted out, and Sergeant Draper as a nurse, Walkley my orderly, my
little dog Paddy and I were lowered from the boat deck. What appeared
smooth water proved to a long undulating swell; no water was shipped,
but the fleet at times was not visible when the boat was in the trough
of the sea.
However, the ---- was manoeuvred so as to form a shelter, and we
gained the deck by means of the companion ladder as comfortably as if
we had been in harbour. Major Stewart's illness proved to be of such a
nature that his disembarkation at Colombo was imperative, and on our
arrival there he was left in the hospital.
The heat in the tropics was very oppressive, and the horses suffered
considerably. One day all the ships carrying horses were turned about
and steamed for twenty minutes in the opposite direction in order to
obtain a breath of air for the poor animals. In the holds the
temperature was 90° and steamy at that. The sight of horses down a
ship's hold is a novel one. Each is in a stall of such dimensions that
the animal cannot be knocked about. All heads are inwards, and each
horse has his own trough. At a certain time in the day lucerne hay is
issued. This is the signal for a prodigious amount of stamping and
noise on the part of the animals. They throw their heads about, snort
and neigh, and seem as if they would jump over the barriers in their
frantic effort to get a good feed. Horses on land are nice beasts, but
on board ship they are a totally different proposition. One
intelligent neddy stabled just outside my cabin spent the night in
stamping on an adjacent steam pipe; consequently my sleep was of a
disturbed nature, and not so restful as one might look for on a sea
voyage. When he became tired, the brute on the opposite side took up
the refrain, so that it seemed like Morse signalling on a large scale.
We reached Colombo on the 13th January, and found a number of ships of
various nationalities in the harbour. Our convoy almost filled it. We
were soon surrounded by boats offering for sale all sorts of things,
mostly edibles. Of course no one was allowed on board.
After arranging for Major Stewart's accommodation at the hospital, we
transferred from the ---- to the ----. The voyage was resumed on the
15th. When a few days out, one of the ships flagged that there were
two cases of appendicitis on board. The convoy was stopped; the ship
drew near ours, and lowered a boat with the two cases, which was soon
alongside. Meanwhile a large box which had been made by our carpenter
was lowered over the side by a winch on the boat deck; the cases were
placed in it and hoisted aboard, where the stretcher-bearers conveyed
them to the hospital. Examination showed that operation was necessary
in both cases, and the necessary preparations were made.
The day was a glorious one--not a cloud in the sky, and the sea almost
oily in its smoothness. As the hospital was full of cases of measles,
it was decided to operate on deck a little aft of the hospital. A
guard was placed to keep inquisitive onlookers at a distance, and the
two operations were carried out successfully. It was a novel
experience to operate under these conditions. When one looked up from
the work, instead of the usual tiled walls of a hospital theatre, one
saw nothing but the sea and the transports. After all, they were ideal
conditions; for the air was absolutely pure and free from any kind of
germ.
While the convoy was stopped, the opportunity was taken to transfer
Lieutenant-Colonel Bean from the ---- to the ----. There had been a
number of fatal cases on board the latter vessel, and it was deemed
advisable to place a senior officer on board.
On arrival at Aden I had personal experience of the worth of the Red
Cross Society. A number of cases had died aboard one of the
transports, and I had to go over to investigate. The sea was fairly
rough, the boat rising and falling ten or twelve feet. For a landsman
to gain a ladder on a ship's side under these conditions is not a
thing of undiluted joy. Anyhow I missed the ladder and went into the
water. The first fear one had was that the boat would drop on one's
head; however, I was hauled on board by two hefty sailors. The
inspection finished, we were rowed back to our own ship, wet and cold.
By the time "home" was reached I felt pretty chilly; a hot bath soon
put me right, and a dressing gown was dug out of the Red Cross goods
supplied to the ship, in which I remained while my clothes were
drying. Sewn inside was a card on which was printed: "Will the
recipient kindly write his personal experiences to George W. Parker,
Daylesford, Victoria, Australia." I wrote to Mr. Parker from Suez. I
would recommend everyone sending articles of this kind to put a
similar notice inside. To be able to acknowledge kindness is as
gratifying to the recipient as the knowledge of its usefulness is to
the giver.
The voyage to Suez (which was reached on the 28th January) was
uneventful. We arrived there about 4 in the morning and found most of
our convoy around us when we got on deck at daylight. Here we got news
of the Turks' attack on the Canal. We heard that there had been a
brush with the Turks, in which Australians had participated, and all
the ships were to be sandbagged round the bridge. Bags of flour were
used on the ----.
The submarine cast off from the ---- outside and came alongside our
ship. I was invited to go and inspect her, and Paddy accompanied me.
On going below, however, I left him on the deck, and by some means he
slipped overboard (this appears to run in the family on this trip);
one of the crew fished him out, and he was sent up on to the ----.
When I got back I found Colonel Monash, the Brigadier, running up and
down the deck with the dog so that he would not catch cold! The
Colonel was almost as fond of the dog as I was.
EGYPT
All along the canal we saw troops entrenched--chiefly Indians. This at
the time was very novel--we little knew then how familiar trenches
would become. At various points--about every four or five miles-a
warship was passed. The troops on each ship stood to attention and the
bugler blew the general salute. Port Said was reached in the
afternoon, and here a great calamity overtook me. Paddy was lost! He
was seen going ashore in the boat which took the mails. Though orders
were out against any one's leaving the ship, Colonel Monash offered me
permission to go and look for him. With Sergeant Nickson and Walkley I
started off and tramped through all sorts of slums and places, without
any success. Finally we returned to the water front, where one of the
natives (a little more intelligent than the others) took me to the
Custom House close by. One of the officials could speak a little
English, and in response to my enquiry he turned up a large book. Then
I saw, among a lot of Egyptian writing, PADDY 4 A.M.C. MORMON. This
corresponded to his identity disc, which was round his neck. He was
out at the abattoirs, where after a three-mile drive we obtained him.
His return to the ship was hailed by the men with vociferous cheers.
On arrival at Alexandria we made arrangements for the disembarkation
of all our sick, Lieutenant-Colonel Beach superintending their
transport. We left soon after by rail for Heilwan, arriving after
nightfall. A guide was detailed to conduct us to camp, and we set out
to march a couple of miles across the desert. It was quite cold, so
that the march was rather good; but, loaded as we were, in full
marching order and soft after a long sea voyage, it was a stiff tramp.
In the pitch dark, as silent as the grave, we stumbled along, and
finally arrived at the camp outside Heliopolis, a place known as the
Aerodrome.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sutherland and Major Helsham were camped with their
Ambulance close by, and with most kindly forethought had pitched our
tents for us. We just lay down in our greatcoats and slept until
morning. Our Brigade was camped just across the road, and formed part
of the New Zealand and Australian Division under General Sir Alexander
Godley.
Training soon began, and everyone seemed full of the idea of making
himself "fit." Our peace camps and continuous training at home look
very puny and small in comparison with the work which now occupied our
time. At manoeuvres the number of troops might be anything up to
thirty thousand. To march in the rear of such a column meant that each
of the Ambulances soon swallowed its peck of dirt. But with it all we
were healthy and vigorous. As an Ambulance we practiced all sorts of
movements. Under supposition that we might have to retreat suddenly,
the whole camp would be struck, packed on the waggon and taken down
the Suez road, where it was pitched again, ready to receive patients;
then tents would be struck and a return made to camp. Or we would make
a start after nightfall and practise the movements without lights; the
transport handling the horses in the dark. Or the different sections
would march out independently, and concentrate on a point agreed upon.
It was great practice, but in the end not necessary; for we went, not
to France, as we expected, but to Gallipoli, where we had no horses.
However, it taught the men to believe in themselves. That period of
training was great. Everyone benefited, and by the beginning of April
we felt fit for anything.
We were exceedingly well looked after in the way of a standing camp.
Sand of course was everywhere, but when watered it became quite hard,
and the quadrangle made a fine drill ground. Each unit had a mess
house in which the men had their meals; there was an abundant supply
of water obtained from the Nile, so that shower baths were plentiful.
Canteens were established, and the men were able to supplement their
rations. The Y.M.C.A. erected buildings for the men's entertainment,
which served an excellent purpose in keeping the troops in camp.
Cinematographs showed pictures, and all round the camp dealers
established shops, so that there was very little inducement for men to
leave at night. A good deal of our time was occupied in weeding out
undesirables from the Brigade. Thank goodness, I had not to send a man
from the Ambulance back for this reason.
Apart from the instructive side of our stay in Egypt, the sojourn was
most educational. We were camped just on the edge of the Land of
Goshen; the place where Joseph obtained his wife was only about a mile
away from my tent, and the well where the Virgin Mother rested with
our Saviour was in close proximity. The same water wheels are here as
are mentioned in the Bible, and one can see the camels and asses
brought to water, and the women going to and fro with pitchers on
their heads. Then in the museum in Cairo one could see the mummy of
the Pharaoh of Joseph's time. All this made the Bible quite the most
interesting book to read.
The troops having undergone pretty strenuous training, we were
inspected by Sir Ian Hamilton, who was to command us in the
forthcoming campaign. Then, early in April, the commanding officers of
units were assembled at Headquarters and the different ships allotted.
Finally, on the evening of the 11th April, our camp was struck, and;
we bade good-bye to Heliopolis. The waggons were packed and the
Ambulance moved off, marching to the Railway Station in Cairo.
Nine-thirty was the time fixed for our entraining, and we were there
on the minute--and it was as well that such was the case, for General
Williams stood at the gate to watch proceedings.
The waggons with four horses (drivers mounted, of course) were taken
at a trot up an incline, through a narrow gateway on to the platform.
The horses were then taken out and to the rear, and the waggons placed
on the trucks by Egyptian porters.
We had 16 vehicles, 69 horses, 10 officers and 245 men. The whole were
entrained in 35 minutes. The General was very pleased with the
performance, and asked me to convey his approbation to the men.
Certainly they did well.
TO GALLIPOLI
At midnight we left Cairo and arrived at daybreak at Alexandria, the
train running right on to the wharf, alongside which was the transport
to convey us to Gallipoli--the Dardanelles we called it then. Loading
started almost immediately, and I found that I--who in ordinary life
am a peaceful citizen and a surgeon by profession--had to direct
operations by which our waggons were to be removed from the railway
trucks on to the wharf and thence to the ship's hold. Men with some
knowledge of the mysteries of steam winches had to be specially
selected and instructed in these duties, and I--well, beyond at times
watching a ship being loaded at Newcastle, I was as innocent of their
details as the unborn babe. However, everyone went at it, and the
transport was loaded soon after dinner. We had the New Zealand Battery
of Artillery, Battery Ammunition Column, 14th Battalion Transport and
Army Service Corps with us, the whole numbering 560 men and 480
horses. At 4 p.m. the ship cast off, and we went to the outer harbour
and began to shake down. The same hour the next day saw us under weigh
for the front. The voyage was quite uneventful, the sea beautifully
calm, and the various islands in the Egean Sea most picturesque. Three
days later we arrived at Lemnos, and found the harbour (which is of
considerable size) packed with warships and transports. I counted 20
warships of various sizes and nationalities. The _Agamemnon_ was just
opposite us, showing signs of the damage she had received in the
bombardment of the Turkish forts a couple of months before. We stayed
here a week, and every day practised going ashore in boats, each man
in full marching order leaving the ship by the pilot ladder.
It is extraordinary how one adapts oneself to circumstances. For years
it has been almost painful to me to look down from a height; as for
going down a ladder, in ordinary times I could not do it. However,
here there was no help for it; a commanding officer cannot order his
men to do what he will not do himself, so up and down we went in full
marching order. Bearer work was carried out among the stony hills
which surround the harbour.
Finally, on the 24th April, the whole armada got under weigh, headed
by the _Queen Elizabeth_, or as the men affectionately termed her,
"Lizzie." We had been under steam for only about four hours when a
case of smallpox was reported on board. As the captain informed me he
had time to spare, we returned to Lemnor and landed the man,
afterwards proceeding on our journey. At night the ship was darkened.
Our ship carried eight horse-boats, which were to be used by the 29th
Division in their landing at Cape Helles.
Just about dawn on Sunday the 25th I came on deck and could see the
forms of a number of warships in close proximity to us, with
destroyers here and there and numbers of transports. Suddenly one ship
fired a gun, and then they were all at it, the Turks replying in quick
time from the forts on Seddul Bahr, as well as from those on the
Asiatic side. None of our ships appeared to be hit, but great clouds
of dust were thrown up in the forts opposite us. Meanwhile destroyers
were passing us loaded with troops, and barges filled with grim and
determined-looking men were being towed towards the shore. One could
not help wondering how many of them would be alive in an hour's time.
Slowly they neared the cliffs; as the first barge appeared to ground,
a burst of fire broke out along the beach, alternately rifles and
machine guns. The men leaped out of the barges--almost at once the
firing on the beach ceased, and more came from halfway up the cliff.
The troops had obviously landed, and were driving the Turks back.
After a couple of hours the top of the cliff was gained; there the
troops became exposed to a very heavy fire from some batteries of
artillery placed well in the rear, to which the warships attended as
soon as they could locate them. The _Queen Elizabeth_ was close by us,
apparently watching a village just under the fort. Evidently some guns
were placed there. She loosed off her two fifteen-inch guns, and after
the dust had cleared away we could see that new streets had been made
for the inhabitants. Meanwhile the British had gained the top and were
making headway, but losing a lot of men--one could see them falling
everywhere.
THE ANZAC LANDING
The horse-boats having been got overboard, we continued our voyage
towards what is now know as Anzac. Troops--Australians and New
Zealanders--were being taken ashore in barges. Warships were firing
apparently as fast as they could load, the Turks replying with equal
cordiality. In fact, as Captain Dawson remarked to me, it was quite
the most "willing" Sunday he had ever seen.
Our troops were ascending the hills through a dwarf scrub, just low
enough to let us see the men's heads, though sometimes we could only
locate them by the glint of the bayonets in the sunshine. Everywhere
they were pushing on in extended order, but many falling. The Turks
appeared to have the range pretty accurately. About mid-day our men
seemed to be held up, the Turkish shrapnel appearing to be too much
for them. It was now that there occurred what I think one of the
finest incidents of the campaign. This was the landing of the
Australian Artillery. They got two of their guns ashore, and over very
rough country dragged them up the hills with what looked like a
hundred men to each. Up they went, through a wheat-field, covered and
plastered with shrapnel, but with never a stop until the crest of the
hill on the right was reached. Very little time was wasted in getting
into action, and from this time it became evident that we were there
to stay.
The practice of the naval guns was simply perfect. They lodged shell
after shell just in front of the foremost rank of our men; in response
to a message asking them to clear one of the gullies, one ship placed
shell after shell up that gully, each about a hundred yards apart, and
in as straight a line as if they were ploughing the ground for Johnny
Turk, instead of making the place too hot to hold him.
The Turks now began to try for this warship, and in their endeavours
almost succeeded in getting the vessel we were on, as a shell burst
right overhead.
The wounded now began to come back, and the one hospital ship there
was filled in a very short time. Every available transport was then
utilised for the reception of casualties, and as each was filled she
steamed off to the base at Alexandria. As night came on we appeared to
have a good hold of the place, and orders came for our bearer division
to land. They took with them three days' "iron" rations, which
consisted of a tin of bully beef, a bag of small biscuits, and some
tea and sugar, dixies, a tent, medical comforts, and (for firewood)
all the empty cases we could scrape up in the ship. Each squad had a
set of splints, and every man carried a tourniquet and two roller
bandages in his pouch. Orders were issued that the men were to make
the contents of their water-bottles last three days, as no water was
available on shore.
The following evening the remainder of the Ambulance, less the
transport, was ordered ashore. We embarked in a trawler, and steamed
towards the shore in the growing dusk as far as the depth of water
would allow. The night was bitterly cold, it was raining, and all felt
this was real soldiering. None of us could understand what occasioned
the noise we heard at times, of something hitting the iron deck houses
behind us; at last one of the men exclaimed: "Those are bullets, sir,"
so that we were having our baptism of fire. It was marvellous that no
one was hit, for they were fairly frequent, and we all stood closely
packed. Finally the skipper of the trawler, Captain Hubbard, told me
he did not think we could be taken off that night, and therefore
intended to drop anchor. He invited Major Meikle and myself to the
cabin, where the cook served out hot tea to all hands. I have drunk a
considerable number of cups of tea in my time, but that mug was very,
very nice. The night was spent dozing where we stood, Paddy being very
disturbed with the noise of the guns.
At daylight a barge was towed out and, after placing all our equipment
on board, we started for the beach. As soon as the barge grounded, we
jumped out into the water (which was about waist deep) and got to dry
land. Colonel Manders, the A.D.M.S. of our Division, was there, and
directed us up a gully where we were to stay in reserve for the time
being, meantime to take lightly-wounded cases. One tent was pitched
and dug-outs made for both men and patients, the Turks supplying
shrapnel pretty freely. Our position happened to be in rear of a
mountain battery, whose guns the Turks appeared very anxious to
silence, and any shells the battery did not want came over to us. As
soon as we were settled down I had time to look round. Down on the
beach the 1st Casualty Clearing Station (under Lieutenant-Colonel
Giblin) and the Ambulance of the Royal Marine Light Infantry were at
work. There were scores of casualties awaiting treatment, some of them
horribly knocked about. It was my first experience of such a number of
cases. In civil practice, if an accident took place in which three or
four men were injured, the occurrence would be deemed out of the
ordinary: but here there were almost as many hundreds, and all the
flower of Australia. It made one feel really that, in the words of
General Sherman, "War is hell," and it seemed damnable that it should
be in the power of one man, even if be he the German Emperor, to
decree that all these men should be mutilated or killed. The great
majority were just coming into manhood with all their life before
them. The stoicism and fortitude with which they bore their pain was
truly remarkable. Every one of them was cheery and optimistic; there
was not a murmur; the only requests were for a cigarette or a drink of
water. One felt very proud of these Australians, each waiting his turn
to be dressed without complaining. It really quite unnerved me for a
time. However, it was no time to allow the sentimental side of one's
nature to come uppermost.
I watched the pinnaces towing the barges in. Each pinnace belonged to
a warship and was in charge of a midshipman--dubbed by his shipmates a
"snotty." This name originates from the days of Trafalgar. The little
chaps appear to have suffered from chronic colds in the head, with the
usual accompaniment of a copious flow from the nasal organs. Before
addressing an officer the boys would clean their faces by drawing the
sleeve of their jacket across the nose; and, I understand that this
practice so incensed Lord Nelson that he ordered three brass buttons
to be sewn on the wristbands of the boys' jackets. However, this is by
the way. These boys, of all ages from 14 to 16, were steering their
pinnaces with supreme indifference to the shrapnel falling about,
disdaining any cover and as cool as if there was no such thing as war.
I spoke to one, remarking that they were having a great time. He was a
bright, chubby, sunny-faced little chap, and with a smile said: "Isn't
it beautiful, sir? When we started, there were sixteen of us, and now
there are only six!" This is the class of man they make officers out
of in Britain's navy, and while this is so there need be no fear of
the result of any encounter with the Germans.
Another boy, bringing a barge full of men ashore, directed them to lie
down and take all the cover they could, he meanwhile steering the
pinnace and standing quite unconcernedly with one foot on the boat's
rail.
AT WORK ON THE PENINSULA
Casualties began to come in pretty freely, so that our tent was soon
filled. We now commenced making dug-outs in the side of the gully and
placing the men in these. Meantime stores of all kinds were being
accumulated on the beach--stacks of biscuits, cheese and preserved
beef, all of the best. One particular kind of biscuit, known as the
"forty-niners," had forty-nine holes in it, was believed to take
forty-nine years to bake, and needed forty-nine chews to a bite. But
there were also beautiful hams and preserved vegetables, and with
these and a tube of Oxo a very palatable soup could be prepared. A
well-known firm in England puts up a tin which they term an Army
Ration, consisting of meat and vegetables, nicely seasoned and very
palatable. For a time this ration was eagerly looked for and
appreciated, but later on, when the men began to get stale, it did not
agree with them so well; it appeared to be too rich for many of us. We
had plenty of jam, of a kind--one kind. Oh! how we used to revile the
maker of "Damson and Apple'!" The damson coloured it, and whatever
they used for apple gave it body.
One thing was good all the time, and that was the tea. The brand never
wavered, and the flavour was always full. Maynard could always make a
good cup of it. It has been already mentioned that water was not at
first available on shore. This was soon overcome, thanks to the Navy.
They convoyed water barges from somewhere, which they placed along
shore; the water was then pumped into our water carts, and the men
filled their water-bottles from them. The water, however, never
appeared to quench our thirst. It was always better made up into tea,
or taken with lime juice when we could get it.
Tobacco, cigarettes and matches were on issue, but the tobacco was of
too light a brand for me, so that Walkley used to trade off my share
of the pernicious weed for matches. The latter became a precious
commodity. I have seen three men light their pipes from one match.
Captain Welch was very independent; he had a burning glass, and
obtained his light from the sun. After a few days the R.M.L.I. were
ordered away, and we were directed to take up their position on the
beach. A place for operating was prepared by putting sandbags at
either end, the roof being formed by planks covered with sandbags and
loose earth. Stanchions of 4 x 4 in. timber were driven into the
ground, with crosspieces at a convenient height; the stretcher was
placed on these, and thus an operating table was formed. Shelves were
made to hold our instruments, trays and bottles; these were all in
charge of Staff-Sergeant Henderson, a most capable and willing
assistant. Close by a kitchen was made, and a cook kept constantly
employed keeping a supply of hot water, bovril, milk and biscuits
ready for the men when they came in wounded, for they had to be fed as
well as medically attended to.
INCIDENTS AND YARNS
One never ceased admiring our men, and their cheeriness under these
circumstances and their droll remarks caused us many a laugh. One man,
just blown up by a shell, informed us that it was a ---- of a
place--'no place to take a lady.' Another told of the mishap to his
"cobber," who picked up a bomb and blew on it to make it light; "all
at once it blew his ---- head off--Gorblime! you would have laughed!"
For lurid and perfervid language commend me to the Australian Tommy.
Profanity oozes from him like music from a barrel organ. At the same
time, he will give you his idea of the situation, almost without
exception in an optimistic strain, generally concluding his
observation with the intimation that "We gave them hell." I have seen
scores of them lying wounded and yet chatting one to another while
waiting their turn to be dressed. The stretcher-bearers were a fine
body of men. Prior to this campaign, the Army Medical Corps was always
looked upon as a soft job. In peacetime we had to submit to all sorts
of flippant remarks, and were called Linseed Lancers, Body-snatchers,
and other cheery and jovial names; but, thanks to Abdul and the
cordiality of his reception, the A.A.M.C. can hold up their heads with
any of the fighting troops. It was a common thing to hear men say:
"This beach is a hell of a place! The trenches are better than this."
The praises of the stretcher-bearers were in all the men's mouths;
enough could not be said in their favour. Owing to the impossibility
of landing the transport, all the wounded had to be carried; often for
a distance of a mile and a half, in a blazing sun, and through
shrapnel and machine-gun fire. But there was never a flinch; through
it all they went, and performed their duty. Of our Ambulance 185 men
and officers landed, and when I relinquished command, 43 remained. At
one time we were losing so many bearers, that carrying during the
day-time was abandoned, and orders were given that it should only be
undertaken after night-fall. On one occasion a man was being sent off
to the hospital ship from our tent in the gully. He was not very bad,
but he felt like being carried down. As the party went along the
beach, Beachy Bill became active; one of the bearers lost his leg, the
other was wounded, but the man who was being carried down got up and
ran! All the remarks I have made regarding the intrepidity and valour
of the stretcher-bearers apply also to the regimental bearers. These
are made up from the bandsmen. Very few people think, when they see
the band leading the battalion in parade through the streets, what
happens to them on active service. Here bands are not thought of; the
instruments are left at the base, and the men become bearers, and
carry the wounded out of the front line for the Ambulance men to care
for. Many a stretcher-bearer has deserved the V.C.
One of ours told me they had reached a man severely wounded in the
leg, in close proximity to his dug-out. After he had been placed on
the stretcher and made comfortable, he was asked whether there was
anything he would like to take with him. He pondered a bit, and then
said: "Oh! you might give me my diary--I would like to make a note of
this before I forget it!"
It can be readily understood that in dealing with large bodies of men,
such as ours, a considerable degree of organization is necessary, in
order to keep an account, not only of the man, but of the nature of
his injury (or illness, as the case may be) and of his destination.
Without method chaos would soon reign. As each casualty came in he was
examined, and dressed or operated upon as the necessity arose.
Sergeant Baxter then got orders from the officer as to where the case
was to be sent. A ticket was made out, containing the man's name, his
regimental number, the nature of his complaint, whether morphia had
been administered and the quantity, and finally his destination. All
this was also recorded in our books, and returns made weekly, both to
headquarters and to the base. Cases likely to recover in a fortnight's
time were sent by fleet-sweeper to Mudros; the others were embarked on
the hospital ship. They were placed in barges, and towed out by a
pinnace to a trawler, and by that to the hospital ship, where the
cases were sorted out. When once they had left the beach, our
knowledge of them ceased, and of course our responsibility. One man
arriving at the hospital ship was describing, with the usual
picturesque invective, how the bullet had got into his shoulder. One
of the officers, who apparently was unacquainted with the Australian
vocabulary, said: "What was that you said, my man?" The reply came, "A
blightah ovah theah put a bullet in heah."
At a later period a new gun had come into action on our left, which
the men christened "Windy Annie." Beachy Bill occupied the olive
grove, and was on our right. Annie was getting the range of our
dressing station pretty accurately, and requisition on the Engineers
evoked the information that sandbags were not available. However, the
Army Service came to our rescue with some old friends, the
"forty-niners." Three tiers of these in their boxes defied the shells
just as they defied our teeth.
As the sickness began to be more manifest, it became necessary to
enlarge the accommodation in our gully. The hill was dug out, and the
soil placed in bags with which a wall was built, the intervening
portion being filled up with the remainder of the hill. By this means
we were able to pitch a second tent and house more of those who were
slightly ill. It was in connection with this engineering scheme that I
found the value of W.O. Cosgrove. He was possessed of a good deal of
the _suaviter in modo_, and it was owing to his dextrous handling of
Ordnance that we got such a fine supply of bags. This necessitated a
redistribution of dug-outs, and a line of them was constructed
sufficient to take a section of bearers. The men christened this
"Shrapnel Avenue." They called my dug-out "The Nut," because it held
the "Kernel." I offer this with every apology. It's not my joke.
The new dug-outs were not too safe. Murphy was killed there one
afternoon, and Claude Grime badly wounded later on. Claude caused a
good deal of amusement. He had a rooted objection to putting on
clothes and wore only a hat, pants, boots and his smile. Consequently
his body became quite mahogany-coloured. When he was wounded he was
put under an anæsthetic so that I could search for the bullet. As the
anæsthetic began to take effect, Claude talked the usual
unintelligible gibberish. Now, we happened to have a Turkish prisoner
at the time, and in the midst of Claude's struggles and shouts in
rushed an interpreter. He looked round, and promptly came over to
Claude, uttering words which I suppose were calculated to soothe a
wounded Turk; and we had some difficulty in assuring him that the
other man, not Claude, was the Turk he was in quest of.
[Illustration: 4th Field Ambulance in Head Quarters Gully.]
[Illustration: 4th Field Ambulance Dressing Station on the beach.]
[Illustration: My Dug-out.]
[Illustration: Major Clayton and Captain Dawson.]
AIR FIGHTING
The German aeroplanes flew over our gully pretty regularly. As first
we were rather perturbed, as they had a nasty habit of dropping bombs,
but as far as I know they never did any damage. Almost all the bombs
dropped into the water. One of them sent some steel arrows down, about
six or eight inches in length, with a metal point something like a
carpenter's bit. In order to conceal our tents, we covered them with
holly-bushes, cut and placed over the canvas. Our aeroplanes were
constantly up, and were easily recognised by a red ring painted
underneath, while the Taube was adorned with a large black cross; but
after we had been there a little time we found it was not necessary to
use glasses in order to ascertain whose flying machine was over us; we
were able to tell by listening, as their engines had a different sound
from those belonging to us.
Our aeroplanes were the source of a good deal of annoyance to the
Turks. They continually fired at them, but, as far as I was able to
judge, never went within cooee of one. The bursts of shrapnel away in
the air made a pretty sight, puffs of white smoke like bits of
cotton-wool in succession, and the aeroplane sailing unconcernedly
along. It appears to be very difficult to judge distance away in the
air, and even more difficult to estimate the rate at which the object
is travelling. What became of the shell-cases of the shrapnel used to
puzzle us. One day Walkley remarked that it was peculiar that none
fell on us. I replied "surely there is plenty of room other than where
we are for them to fall." Scarcely were the words uttered than down
one came close by. We knew it was a case from above and not one fired
direct, because the noise was so different.
The hydroplanes used by the Navy were interesting. Floating on the
water, they would gather way and soar upwards like a bird. Their
construction was different from that of the aeroplanes.
A captive balloon was used a good deal to give the ranges for the
warships. It was carried on the forepart of a steamer and was, I
believe, in connection with it by telephone or wireless.
THE OFFICERS' MESS
We kept up the custom of having an officers' mess right through the
campaign. When we first landed, while everything was in confusion,
each man catered for himself; but it was a lonely business, and not
conducive to health. When a man cooked his own rations he probably did
not eat much. So a dug-out was made close to the hospital tent, and we
all had our meals together. A rather pathetic incident occurred one
day. Just after we had finished lunch three of us were seated, talking
of the meals the "Australia" provided, when a fragment of shell came
through the roof on to the table and broke one of the enamel plates.
This may seem a trivial affair and not worth grousing about; but the
sorry part of it was that we only had one plate each, and this loss
entailed one man having to wait until the others had finished their
banquet.
I have elsewhere alluded to the stacks of food on the beach. Amongst
them bully beef was largely in evidence. Ford, our cook, was very good
in always endeavouring to disguise the fact that "Bully" was up again.
He used to fry it; occasionally he got curry powder from the Indians
and persuaded us that the resultant compound was curried goose; but it
was bully beef all the time. Then he made what he called
rissoles--onions entered largely into their framework, and when you
opened them you wanted to get out into the fresh air. Preserved
potatoes, too, were very handy. We had them with our meat, and what
remained over we put treacle on, and ate as pancakes. Walkley and
Betts obtained flour on several occasions, and made very presentable
pancakes. John Harris, too, was a great forager--he knew exactly where
to put his hand on decent biscuits, and the smile with which he landed
his booty made the goods toothsome in the extreme. Harris had a
gruesome experience. One day he was seated on a hill, talking to a
friend, when a shell took the friend's head off and scattered his
brains over Harris.
Before leaving the description of the officers' mess, I must not omit
to introduce our constant companions, the flies. As Australians we
rather prided ourselves on our judgment regarding these pests, and in
Gallipoli we had every opportunity of putting our faculties to the
test. There were flies, big horse flies, blue flies, green flies, and
flies. They turned up everywhere and with everything. While one was
eating one's food with the right hand, one had to keep the left going
with a wisp, and even then the flies beat us. Then we always had the
comforting reflection of those dead Turks not far away--the distance
being nothing to a fly. In order to get a little peace at one meal in
the day, our dinner hour was put back until dusk. Men wounded had a
horrible time. Fortunately we had a good supply of mosquito netting
purchased with the Red Cross money. It was cut up into large squares
and each bearer had a supply.
THE ARMISTICE
On the 23rd of May anyone looking down the coast could see a man on
Gaba Tepe waving a white flag. He was soon joined by another occupied
in a like manner. Some officers came into the Ambulance and asked for
the loan of some towels; we gave them two, which were pinned together
with safety pins. White flags don't form part of the equipment of
Australia's army.
Seven mounted men had been observed coming down Gaba Tepe, and they
were joined on the beach by our four. The upshot was that one was
brought in blindfolded to General Birdwood. Shortly after we heard it
announced that a truce had been arranged for the following day in
order to bury the dead.
The following morning Major Millard and I started from our right and
walked up and across the battle-field. It was a stretch of country
between our lines and those of the Turks, and was designated No Man's
Land. At the extreme right there was a small farm; the owner's house
occupied part of it, and was just as the man had left it. Our guns had
knocked it about a good deal. In close proximity was a field of wheat,
in which there were scores of dead Turks. As these had been dead
anything from a fortnight to three weeks their condition may be better
imagined than described. One body I saw was lying with the leg
shattered. He had crawled into a depression in the ground and lay with
his great-coat rolled up for a pillow; the stains on the ground showed
that he had bled to death, and it can only be conjectured how long he
lay there before death relieved him of his sufferings. Scores of the
bodies were simply riddled with bullets. Midway between the trenches a
line of Turkish sentries were posted. Each was in a natty blue uniform
with gold braid, and top boots, and all were done "up to the nines."
Each stood by a white flag on a pole stuck in the ground. We buried
all the dead on our side of this line and they performed a similar
office for those on their side. Stretchers were used to carry the
bodies, which were all placed in large trenches. The stench was awful,
and many of our men wore handkerchiefs over their mouths in their
endeavour to escape it. I counted two thousand dead Turks. One I
judged to be an officer of rank, for the bearers carried him
shoulder-high down a gully to the rear. The ground was absolutely
covered with rifles and equipment of all kinds, shell-cases and caps,
and ammunition clips. The rifles were all collected and the bolts
removed to prevent their being used again. Some of the Turks were
lying right on our trenches, almost in some of them. The Turkish
sentries were peaceable-looking men, stolid in type and of the peasant
class mostly. We fraternised with them and gave them cigarettes and
tobacco. Some Germans were there, but they viewed us with malignant
eyes. When I talked to Colonel Pope about it afterwards he said the
Germans were a mean lot of beggars: "Why," said he most indignantly,
"they came and had a look into my trenches." I asked "What did you do?"
He replied, "Well, I had a look at theirs."
TORPEDOING OF THE _TRIUMPH_
The day after the armistice, at fifteen minutes after noon, I was in
my dug-out when one of the men exclaimed that something was wrong with
the _Triumph_. I ran out and was in time to see the fall of the water
sent up by the explosive. It was a beautifully calm day, and the ship
was about a mile and a quarter from us; she had a decided list towards
us, and it was evident that something was radically wrong. With
glasses one could see the men lined up in two ranks as if on parade,
without the least confusion. Then two destroyers went over and put
their noses on each side of the big ship's bows; all hands from the
_Triumph_ marched aboard the destroyers. She was gradually heeling
over, and all movables were slipping into the sea. One of the
destroyers barked three or four shots at something which we took to be
the submarine. In fifteen minutes the _Triumph_ was keel up, the water
spurting from her different vent pipes as it was expelled by the
imprisoned air. She lay thus for seventeen minutes, gradually getting
lower and lower in the water, when quietly her stern rose and she
slipped underneath, not a ripple remaining to show where she had sunk.
I have often read of the vortex caused by a ship sinking, but as far
as I could see there was in this case not the slightest disturbance.
It was pathetic to see this beautiful ship torpedoed and in thirty-two
minutes at the bottom of the sea. I believe the only lives lost were
those of men injured by the explosion. Meanwhile five destroyers came
up from Helles at a terrific speed, the water curling from their bows;
they and all the other destroyers circled round and round the bay, but
the submarine lay low and got off. Her commander certainly did his job
well.
THE DESTROYERS